BOSTON, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric vehicle
battery packs have increasing requirements concerning their thermal
runaway mitigation strategy. Meanwhile, the aerogel industry is
overly dependent on oil & gas and in need of diversification.
Could this be the perfect match between a problem looking for a
solution and a solution looking for a problem?
Despite the space tech reputation, silica aerogel is not a new
discovery; in fact, the complicated history dates back almost
100-years. In that time there have been significant technical
developments and headline applications, but the commercial journey
only really gained traction in the 21st century. In the past
20-years the industry has grown, finding key applications in the
oil & gas and petrochemical sectors, however, it is difficult
to call the market a success. Growth has somewhat plateaued, the
process means prices remain high, there have been prominent
lawsuits, promising innovations have not propelled the adoption,
and the attempts to diversify into other sectors achieving minimal
success. That is until now.
IDTechEx has provided the leading market intelligence report on
this industry for many years. Their latest version, "Aerogels
2021-2031: Technologies, Markets and Players", provides the reader
with key player, material, and application information. In
addition, IDTechEx has also extensively studied the topic of
thermal management for electric vehicles and a detailed assessment
of the market can be found in "Thermal Management for Electric
Vehicles 2021-2031".
The lithium-ion battery market is booming, primarily driven by
the transformation in the automotive sector. Of course, there are
numerous considerations including the cell chemistry, cell format,
price, supply chain, and more, but one essential piece of the
puzzle is the strategy being adopted for thermal management and
fire safety. Presently, there is a distinct lack of consolidation
in pack design, and when coupled with an unknown regulatory
outlook, charging expectations, price considerations, and rapidly
developing battery technology it is unlikely to converge soon. The
one thing that can be said with confidence is that longevity and
safety will remain critical.
There are 4 main ways to cool current lithium-ion batteries:
air, liquid, refrigerant, and immersion. IDTechEx analysis shows an
increasing trend to active liquid cooling with each process having
distinct strengths and weaknesses. Of course, cooling a battery is
just part of the problem and warming the battery up is also a
critical role. A further key consideration is what goes in between
these cells and modules to not only facilitate the heat transfer,
but also play roles in structure, energy absorption, space-filling
for corrosion considerations, and more. Then there is the question
of what happens in the event of a cell entering thermal runaway and
do you want to try and contain that at the cell, module, or pack
level. Per mile-driven EVs are currently safer than their ICE
counterparts, but that does not mean that fires don't happen,
costly recalls have been forced upon notable OEMs, and damaging
headlines are regularly seen. IDTechEx has identified numerous
strategies that are all outlined in detail within their market
report.
This is where silica aerogel blankets and sheets enter the
picture with their superb thermal insulation and fire-retardant
properties. Like all solutions they have their criticisms, ceramic
players will say that that max temperature is not high enough
(<1,000 C), foam players may criticize their compression
properties, and both will point to price. However, all incumbents
and emerging solutions have notable weaknesses, and it will depend
on the OEMs pack design and safety tolerances; the reality is that
the beneficial combination of aerogel properties means that they
are starting to gain more of a market share. Dedicated products are
being launched, with the appropriate balance of properties and
thickness, and solutions being found as to how to integrate this
into a high-throughput automated manufacturing line. The key area
is specifically between pouch and prismatic cells, the first
adoption was seen in China with
both local aerogel manufacturers and end-users, but it is expanding
beyond this to other East Asian markets and North America; key aerogel manufacturers are
making significant announcements of orders and engagement.
This is certainly not the end of the story as the evolution of
the battery pack continues at pace, there is the upcoming jump to
cell-to-pack architectures, the rise of solid-state batteries, a
shifting regulatory landscape, vehicle price, and consumer
expectations all to contend with. The same is true for aerogels
with capacity expansions to be realized and innovations for both
silica and polymer (which are also being considered for an
inter-cell role) variants continuing to emerge.
IDTechEx do not expect one solution to emerge anytime soon, in
fact, these thermal runaway mitigation strategies will be combined
for maximum effectiveness and to serve multifunctional needs. The
electrification of the automotive sector is completely re-writing
the supplier landscape and as new challenges emerge this will
continue to develop, but silica aerogels will certainly play a role
in providing a critical and potentially highly lucrative growth
opportunity for the industry.
Please see the IDTechEx report, "Aerogels 2021-2031:
Technologies, Markets and Players", for the most comprehensive
overview of the aerogel market, including benchmarking studies,
case studies, and granular market forecasts. As well as detailed
manufacturer analysis is provided including their capacity,
revenue, products, production processes, planned expansions, and
more.
For more information on the specific application emerging as
well as more information and forecasts of the electric vehicle
industry, please see "Thermal Management for Electric Vehicles
2021-2031".
About IDTechEx
IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its
Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit
from emerging technologies. For more information, contact
research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.
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SOURCE IDTechEx